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With the year winding down and just a few weeks left (still plenty of time for more surprises to be fair) let’s look at some of the notable events that occurred this year.

Gaming

Pros:

Red Dead Redemption 2: A world that not only meets the status quo of Rockstar, but exceeds it with the amount of detail, depth of story, and seemingly endless hours of game play (with online still on the way).

Synchronizing online play: Despite some disputes on how it will all work, there has been a rise in cross-platform online play. While Fortnite is currently the only game to work across all platforms, Rocket League, Minecraft, and Hover are examples of games that play with more than the platform you may own them on.

With Microsoft supporting purchases across PC and Xbox with their play anywhere initiative, it looks to be a positive future regardless of your platform of choice.

SSBU: Possibly the final entry in the series (at least with Masahiro Sakari at the helm), this game delivers every single good thing you’ve experienced in a Smash Bros game and then some. Touting an epic proportioned story mode and the largest cast of fighters yet, this is a must grab for any Switch owner out there.

Spider-Man: Although this is only for the PS4, when a Spider-man game is good, it’s great! Everything you could hope for in a sandbox superhero game and a bit more.

Cons:

Tell Tale: The company hit it big years ago with their Walking Dead series and came out with some promising titles after including their takes on Minecraft, Batman, and Game of Thrones. However, their lack of game play variation and poor management saw a very ugly end to the company.

Fall Out 76: This game was either going to be a hit or a miss. Unfortunately, the launch was a huge miss. Between the messy BETA, the amount of glitches, and the over reliance of multiplayer to compensate for the lack of story and NPC’s, the launch has been messy to say the least. It’s now lead many players to wait until Bethesda can provide more incentive to dive into their new Fall Out experiment.

Music

Pros:

Honestly, this has been a great year for music in this writer’s opinion. With releases like Kid Cudi’s Kids See Ghost,Anderson Paak’s Oxnard, Pusha T’s Daytona, Idles Joy as an Act of Resistance, Portal’s Ion, Sophie’s Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides, Kanye’s Ye, and Brockhampton’s Iridescence to name a few album titles there was really at least two albums in most genres this year that were great to amazing to listen to.

Cons:

The cons aren’t long in length, aside from some inflated drama with celebrities, the biggest hits came in those who passed in 2018. One of the most tragic losses being that of Mac Miller who passed away due to an accidental overdose. Mac Miller’s untimely passing was felt by many, and his positive influence on the world will be missed even by those who never got the chance to meet him.

Cinema and Showtime

Pros:

Marvel, hands down the current king on the super hero genre and Infinity War was a true epic to everything that had come before, with more to come this next year. Worth catching in the theaters and a fresh take on the whole Avengers formula.

Broly is coming, again. With the mixed success of Dragon Ball Super, a new movie is on its way and while it has yet to hit, the impact of the trailers alone is palpable and is promising an anime movie release to rival that of the Pokémon franchise.

Whether it’s via broadcast or streaming service, television shows may be at its peak right now. The only real problem is there may be too much worthwhile content. It’s hard to keep up with things on Netflix, Hulu, and network shows from Fox, NBC, Showtime and so on.

With a controversial split between Marvel and Guardians of the Galaxy’s director James Gunn, Warner Bros. wasted no time in penning Gunn as the new director of the sequel to Suicide Squad. One of the silver linings of the fall out is the sequel to one of DC’s bigger disappointments is getting a promising upgrade in direction.

Cons:

Marvel is also on the con side of things. The whole franchise is huge and has plans to keep growing, but the burn out can be felt by some casual movie goers and fans alike.

To bookend the Marvel expansion issue, is the seeming end of the Netflix Marvel universe with the end of Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Daredevil, all announced this year. It’s not too surprising considering Disney is now going forward with their own streaming service, but is still a blow to those that enjoyed what some of these series offered on the service.

YouTube may not be considered a television or movie source (at least not legally), but it is becoming harder for new content creators to be interested in coming to the site. YouTube’s ability to pay its creators has been coming under repeated scrutiny over the past few years it does not seem to be heading for a positive resolution, especially with the EU’s Article 13 (see more here). There is some worry about any appeal to this platform’s future.

Conclusion

All in all it has been an eventful year yet again in all types of ways. We had so much to be thankful for with new groud breaking in all areas of pop culture. The bad always comes with the good and it can only be taken in stride as we continue to see and enjoy the innovation in what we as consumers enjoy so much. We can only hope for more of the good (without more of the bad) as 2019 quickly approaches. So lets say a so long to 2018 and embrace the new year with open arms.

Embrace the New Year and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for the latest news @tehlunchboxpub!

Around when I was seven and when a famous magazine was still being published called Nintendo Power, I was receiving three promotional VHS tapes of upcoming games soon to be released. One of them was Banjo & Kazooie and the other was Diddy Kong Racing for the Nintendo 64, but then a third tape arrived labeled *pause for dramatic effect*…Pokèmon.

I remember watching the video with my two sisters, as we see B-grade actors and actresses talk about how they’re related to Ash Ketchum (the main protagonist in the Pokèmon Anime series) and how the video games are coming to the United States. On my eighth Birthday, the only thing my age could ask for was some NERF Guns, Power Ranger action figures, and a couple of other video games. For me, I only wanted one game in general. Surprisingly, my cousins bought me my first copy of Pokèmon Red Version.

Immediately I was hooked with the opening scene of a Ninorino fighting a Gengar. Countless hours of not sleeping till 12, wasting four double A batteries, and staying away from my Nintendo 64. I faced through countless Geodudes and Zubats, took money from Youngster trainers, picked between either throwing a rock or some bait to catch a Pokèmon, and finally got the chance to play against the Elite Four.

The Pokèmon craze was everywhere I go. At school, friends and classmates were either talking about what there progress in the game is or talking about how having a link cable can help you evolve some certain Pokèmon. Not to also forget a certain glitch to gain you an infinite number of Rare Candies and Master Balls.

I am happy to say that I’m still a fan of the series to this day. Either I pick up my Game Boy Color and scrimmage to find my Red Version down in my basement or I simply wait until all three versions of the game come to the virtual console for my new Nintendo 3DS XL. Whatever decision I make, I will relive my childhood by catching them all, one pokèball at a time.

As an individual that enjoys pop culture, I actually don’t frequent many conventions (when I say I don’t frequent them I mean I don’t enjoy them much at all). There’s a myriad of reasons why, but that’s not what this is about. What it is about though is this amazing annual convention that I went to in Small Press Expo (SPX). Since its inaugural year in 1994, SPX has become well renowned as a longstanding festival for writers and artists from all over the world to share their own independent comics and artwork. The intimacy of the festival in addition to being an outlet for these artists to present and sell their works that aren’t accessible through more commercial means is what instantly piqued my interest. As I made my way through the small (but immensely crowded) venue, I made it to this small booth in the corner of the room and here is this young and charming indie artist by the name of Nguyen Khoi Nguyen. I walk up assuming to do the same thing I always do at these things (or the few I have been to); browse around, window shop a little… and walk away (I’m broke, sue me). But this time was different. It didn’t take long at all for him to ingratiate himself as opposed to simply shilling whatever he had on display. Our short conversation did inevitably (as it should have) lead to his current work and what I found out is that sometimes less really is more.

Now many want to try to share their vision with the world through the extraordinary. Fantasy
and fiction rule the world of comics and graphic novels with an iron fist. Buyers (like me) consume their fill of super-powered heroes struggling against whatever opposition floats the author’s boat. We all by our share of illustrations depicting people in extenuating circumstances whether it be a post-apocalyptic land of mutant people or a futuristic setting where the planet is taken over by a technologically advanced overlord. Tales of life, death, love, action, and adventure, get told over and over in these works and while always fun, can be overwhelming (or underwhelming). For a serene break from the norm, I suggest The Gulf (All You Can Eat).

This multimedia graphic novel illustrates the life (both past and present) of author, Nguyen Khoi Nguyen and his Vietnamese-American family. It may seem unassuming at first glance, but it is filled with interesting hidden gems of humor and captivates you in a fascinating way when you finish. Even the chapters themselves flip both between the author’s life as a young child growing up in Cape Coral, Florida in 1987 and a fairly interesting conversation had between his brother and sister in his current home of Washington D.C. Now as a hyper-exuberant kid whose family owns a Chinese buffet restaurant, one would expect the hi jinks to ensue a fair amount… and you’d be right. It is so funny to see these young siblings (his brother and sister are very prominent characters) and never fails to put a smile on my face as it resembles my own siblings a great deal. The art seems simple in the beginning, but the subtle use of music and traditional vernacular all help to bring life to the panels and the story in an original way. The dialogue is honest and endears you to the characters as if you know them yourself (or know people like them in your life).

In the scene of modern-day art (of any genre), ego reigns supreme and everyone is trying to make the biggest story alive in a thinly veiled attempt to make themselves a larger name. Sometimes, it’s creating the most convoluted piece you can, and sometimes it’s pandering to the lowest common denominator (and those things don’t have to be mutually exclusive). “Pretentious” can be a common word for me to use, but rarely could I use the word “humble” for a lot of works that I’ve seen. Fortunately for me, The Gulf is the embodiment of the term “humble”. So many times we pick up a book and use it to escape reality and whatever problems we have. While it can be fun and therapeutic, sometimes we become so disconnected from what reality is we lose sight of what is important. Nguyen Khoi Nguyen has created a piece of work in which its strongest asset and appeal isn’t the flash and flare of other comics or novels. It isn’t the grandiose and intimidating expansion of its world. It isn’t any of the common tropes of other written works (highly regarded or not). It is the intrinsic ability minimize the experience for the reader and relate to the common experiences of people through the life of the author and his family. It’s a reminder of the importance of love and family and that maybe the escape that people are looking for can be found in the catacombs of one’s fond memories of their youth (and we all have our fair share).It’s definitely what I would describe as a “colorful” autobiography shaped in the form of a graphic novel. The chapters (4 available, 10 total scheduled) are short in length, but gives you your fill of fun and a bit of introspection. It’s not an ambitious read at all, and why should it be? It’s fun stories about a guy and his family bound together by the business of food and personal experiences. It is reflective in its own right and for me, it’s got everything I need when I want to take a break from what I usually read. It’s a good read and I am happy that I got a chance to pick it up when I did. Nguyen Khoi Nguyen is an intriguing man. He’s a jazz musician and a filmmaker on top of his aptitude for comic art. If you want to purchase his work, you can find it on iBooks or tiny.cc/nguyenmade. To learn more, check out his website at ngknguyen.com. I think it’ll be worth anyone’s time.

Stephon W. is a contributing Editor for Teh Lunchbox Publications and sorry, he doesn’t do social media. But you can follow the team on facebook (Teh Lunchbox Publications), and on twitter @tehlunchboxpub

So, around this time every Sunday I’m usually winding down. Maybe get a nice workout in (it’s actually not very nice), get a shower, and prepare a good dinner (mostly cold cereal). Guess you can say my evenings can get a bit crazy right? Afterwards, I settle in and prepare to watch one of my favorite shows on television in Rick and Morty before the nights end… except last week that didn’t happen. Last week Rick and Morty saw a break at the halfway mark through its second season on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. Needless to say, my night was underwhelming after that. Now some of you are thinking “What’s so great about Rick and Morty?” or something similar. Well, for those who have been living under a rock or are still on the fence about it, let’s dive right in shall we?

Rick and Morty is an Adult Swim original created by Dan Harmon (Community) and Justin Roiland (Fish Hooks, Adventure Time). The show’s most titular characters are of course Rick; the brilliant, but sociopathologic scientist and Morty; the unassuming and anxiety riddled teenage grandson (both voiced by Justin Roiland). After being absent for 20 years, Rick has returned to move in with his daughter Beth son-in-law Jerry and has turned their garage into his own crazy lab for his experiments and adventures. Now that He’s back, Rick takes Morty (and recently Morty’s sister Summer) on adventures through time and space.

Rick himself is one of the funniest character the show has from week to week. His crass humor and stark delivery makes his interactions with any character a treat. Every situation that he finds himself in is never too much to handle and Morty, while apprehensive and easily shaken at the beginning, has started to slowly take on his grandfathers demeanor (although it never stops them from butting heads). Summer seemed like your run-of-the-mill 17-year-old with annoying drama and constant angst, but after her experiences with Rick and Morty, she is changing in her own right as she is experiencing more of what her younger brother has already become desensitized to. Their adventures intertwine a lot later in the first season and have become common throughout the second season. Beth and Jerry seem to have their own dealings away from the rest of the family and deal with more menial issues comparatively. Despite the fact that their adventures look much less interesting on the surface, more times than not they can be just as funny and entertaining.

Now this is not your normal late-night animation. The jokes are frequent, but are often clever and done with a purpose other than humor. Nothing is one note as there are always multiple stories going on from episode to episode. While other shows use multiple stories, they often fall flat and only serve to fill time with no substance. Characters often don’t change or do so only when the plot requires them to be reminded of it. Things go back to the same every week. With Rick and Morty, that isn’t the case. Things happen to people. And they change, for better or worse. Emotions get the best of the characters. Situations don’t work out and you see how that affects the characters and the decisions they make in future episodes. The audience can still see some of the humor coming from a mile away. What they don’t see is that sometimes the jokes can be accompanied by some true and heavy introspective moments that can turn a hearty laugh from viewers into a somber silence.

Rick and Morty is always good for a solid laugh. It is also good for a deep look into the vices that plague many in real life. It serves as a reminder that even a show that goes so far out of the norm in art and story and one that is set in an outrageously different universe, can make relevant and invoke seminal emotions in scenarios that show characters (and as an extension, real life people) as complex beings. Rick and Morty is back this Sunday and I couldn’t be happier. For those of you haven’t seen it or don’t get it, just check it out once or twice. You may laugh. You may even cry. Or you may just hate it. Either way, it won’t kill you to give it a look.

Stephon W. is a contributing Editor for Teh Lunchbox Publications and sorry, he doesn’t do social media. But you can follow the team on facebook (Teh Lunchbox Publications), and on twitter @tehlunchboxpub

It’s been a bit of time since the unfortunate passing of Nintendo President , a man who understood the pure joy and element of play. But rather than mourn for the loss, we wanted to take a quick moment to look back at the wonderful things he did for the company.

A long time lead programmer for Nintendo’s HAL Laboratory, Satoru Iwata helped bring to life such games as Balloon Fight, Shigesato Itoi’s Earthbound, Super Smash Bros., and various Kirby games throughout HAL’s early years. He even assisted Game Freak, at the time a very young development team, accomplish the astounding feat of programming and compressing the entire Kanto region into Pokémon Gold/Silver when no one thought it were possible.

In 2002, Iwata became the Global President & CEO of Nintendo, succeeding Hiroshi Yamauchi. In this new position, Iwata was able to usher in the Nintendo DS in 2004, arguably one of the best-selling handheld systems ever released. He also inducted the Nintendo Wii in 2006, which became a contender for one of the top-selling consoles of all time.

The company faced a bit of financial hard times after the release of the 3DS and Wii U in 2011 and 2012, respectively. However, instead of laying off employees to make up for the money lost from the systems’ lukewarm launches, Iwata cut the salaries of himself and other fellow high-ranking executives in half in order to make sure his employees still had jobs at the company. It’s a move unheard of for most corporations, but none too surprising for someone who cared deeply for his employees.

Iwata was definitely the type to find ways to interact directly with developers and fans, from the series of “Iwata Asks” interviews that gives friendly in-depth looks into the development of upcoming games, to the introduction of the “Nintendo Direct” series which brought regular updates and announcements of Nintendo products.

Iwata passed on July 11, 2015 from complications with a tumor in his bile duct, but he still had big projects set in motion after his passing. Earlier this year, he partnered with mobile company DeNA to push upcoming content to mobile devices, and already set a footprint for Nintendo’s next system codenamed “NX”, which we will hear more details of early in 2016. Representative Director Genyo Takeda and Game Designer Shigeru Miyamoto will be temporarily taking over the company as interim presidents until the company elects a proper president.

Satoru Iwata was a man praised for the fact that his experiences in the company lead him to understand all sides of Nintendo: the business to keep the company viable, the designers who create such amazing gameplay experiences, and the gamers who play through them first hand. A unique individual like him is always hard to come by, and we of the Lunchbox will never forget him.

December 6, 1959 – July 11, 2015

Alex D is a contributing Editor for Teh Lunchbox Publications. Follow him on twitter @tehlunchboxpub

HOWWW is the first week of Summer treating you,homies andhomettes?! This is your man, RemyTyndle over here, and I do believe it’s about that time to discover our hidden potential passed down our family bloodline, because I’m about to get you all hip toJoJo’s BizarreAdviggity!!

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure logo

For those of you who aren’t familiar, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure originated as a Japanese manga series– one of the best-selling (80 million copies sold nationwide JPN) and longest running (1986-present) in history, written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. It started out from being published through Weekly Shonen Jump up until Part 7 in 2004, and then transferred to Monthly Ultra Jump from thereon.

The story focuses on the strange stories of individual characters who stem from a family bloodline, known as “Joestar”, all of whom’s names are able to be contracted as the nickname “JoJo”. The franchise is currently divided into 8 parts and the typical plot is as follows; the affirmative Joestar family member discovers an extraordinary ability within themselves and realize their destiny to defeat supernatural threats.

The Main Protagonists from Part 1-8 From Left to Right: Jonathan, Joseph, Jotaro, Josuke (Part 4), Giorno, Jolyne, Johnny, Josuke (Part 8).

This iconic franchise has given birth to various forms of media over the years, but in the case of this article, we shall acknowledge the current anime adaptation since 2012, produced by David Production studio. In 3 years, David Production has successfully covered Parts 1-3. Now, it’s Friday, and usually at this time, I’d be watching the latest episode, but as of the previous week, the finale of Part 3’s anime adaptation, Stardust Crusaders has hit the airwaves and come to an end.

A screenshot of David Production’s special computer graphic animation (primarily used for the opening sequences) of the heroes of Part 3.

With the fans having so much appreciation for the effort David Production put forth towards the JoJo’s series thus far, many including myself are hoping for the continuation with Part 4, Diamond is Unbreakable. It has been confirmed that the studio would like to continue the anime through Part 4, perhaps even beyond, however, the deciding factor depends on the fundraising for the necessary production budget.

A DVD release of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Season 1 is scheduled for release to North America this fall, published through Warner Home Video, and is now available for pre-order: http://www.rightstufanime.com/JoJos-Bizarre-Adventure-Season-1-DVD-Hyb

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Season 1 DVD (Hyb) will cover Parts 1 and 2, and will feature both English and Japanese audio, with subtitles included. Available 9/22/15

There are also Japanese released Blu-ray disc sets as well, now available at Amazon. They come with English subtitles and the discs are compatible for all regions, so if you consider yourself an avid collector of this all things JoJo, these would be great products to purchase in support of David Production.

JoJo No Kimyo Na Boken 1 (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Vol. 1) [Blu-ray]. These home entertainment editions of the David Production anime cover up to the second Vol. of Part 3. Visit Amazon in order to purchase your very own copies today.

If you are already a fan of the franchise and you like what you are seeing from David Production’s animated adaptation of the series, show your support by purchasing a collection of these bizarre products of home entertainment! The possibility of Part 4’s animation becoming a reality lies in your hands. If you are just now familiarizing yourself to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, thanks to this piece of literature, give the series a try, and you may just become a fan yourself.

Starting from 1986, as you read towards the more recent chapters, you will see how Araki’s artwork with the manga has evolved throughout the decades into a thing of sheer beauty, and David Production’s tribute to the manga by adding pop art style elements to their animation is certainly a unique site to behold. I hope to have hooked your interest in the bizarre world of JoJo’s, and you will begin supporting this legendary brand in any way possible, and just in case you’re wondering, yes, there is an JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure abridged series.

With all of the outlets available, there are plenty of ways to get into the series. Of course once you do, get ready to join the JoJo’s Bizarre hype train and *inhale*…ORA ORA ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!!!ORAAAA!!!!!

Remy Tyndle is a contributing Editor for Teh Lunchbox Publications. Follow us on twitter@tehlunchboxpub.

The PC Gaming Show went live on Tuesday June 16, 2015, PC Gamer and AMD had put on the Show. This was the first PC conference at E3, and was hosted by Sean Plott.

There was quite a few guest speakers on the show (did you guys see Sean’s stack of cards?) some talked about new affordable hardware for your PC. While others talked about new games and expansion packs.

And those speakers were:

Sean ‘day[9]’ Plott (Host)

Richard Huddy ( AMD)

Colin Johanson (ArenaNet)

Chris Sigaty and Dustin Browder (Blizzard)

Joris Vantland, Jay Crowe, and Brian Hicks (Bohemia Interactive)

Cliff Bleszinski (Boss Key Productions)

Phil Spencer (Microsoft)

Ryan Geddes (CCP Games)

Chris Roberts (Cloud Imperium)

Dave Crooks and Joe Harty (Dodge Roll)

Jean-Francois Dugas and Jonathan Jacques-Belletête (Edios-Montréal)

Bruce Maclean (Electronic Arts)

Ian Thomas (Frictional Games)

David Braben (Frontier Developments)

Steve Gaynor (Fullbright)

David Eckelberry (Lionhead Studios)

James Phinney (Motiga)

Feargus Urquhart and Fredrick Wester (Paradox Interactive)

Thom Glunt (Pixel Titans)

Dean Hall (RocketWerkz)

Paul Wedgwood (Splash Damage)

John Gibson (Tripwire Interactive)

The show may not seem as exciting as the shows for the consoles but I can honestly say for PC gaming, their first show was quite good. From new and better PC hardware, new games, and cool expansion packs.

In true PC gaming fashion, the show wasn’t just about games. AMD’s CEO Lisa Su revealed their new upcoming hardware. She talked about the R9 Fury X (above) and R9 Nano graphics card (left), and their dual-GPU Fiji. If you want to know more, you can watch the show.

Microsoft also chimed in to announce that Killer Instinct would also be available to the PC and after that the crowd went crazy (in a good way of course). Another console game that would be making it to PC is (drumroll)…Gears of War: Ultimate Edition.

Now I have a question for all of you PC gamers…What did you think about the E3 PC Gaming Show?

Sherita M. is a contributing Editor for Teh Lunchbox Publications and she can’t wait to try Minecraft Hololense. Follow us on twitter@tehlunchboxpub.

E3 2015, oh how alluring in concept, but lackluster in delivery. My E3 2015 Top Five was actually surprisingly easy to make because there were very few games that WOWed me that haven’t already been teased or announced. I feel E3 this year definitely didn’t have as much get up & go as last year, but E3 as a whole right now isn’t what I’m here to write about. Let’s look at the brighter picture & talk about 5 wonderful things that I enjoyed at E3 2015 (in no particular order):

E3 2015 TOP 5!

Project Setsuna

Project Setsuna was one of the key revival factors in Square Enix’s abysmal conference. Project Setsuna, only teased a minute or two, showcased out-of-this-world backdrops & a gorgeous soundtrack. Currently in production by Tokyo RPG Factory, this title looks to deliver an RPG experience for the ages! It’s definitely a must-buy for me just from the first-look alone.

Anno 2205

Although very scarce on details, Anno 2205‘s trailer speaks bounds! A game about the exploration of space & colonizing the Moon, Anno 2205 could definitely be a game worth its salt in the upcoming year!

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

Even though this isn’t a brand new IP & follows along in the Super Mario RPG line of games; I’m always a sucker for how Nintendo seems to bring the characters with the Mario franchise into a whole new light, incorporating wacky, over-the-top antics with our two favorite video game brothers. With two different styles of Mario juxtaposed together; this new Mario RPG is sure to give us an experience unlike any of the other RPGs before it. This game was definitely a pleasant surprise & a breath of fresh air in the Nintendo conference.

Hitman: Blindsight

Agent 47 is at it again, with even more new ways to kill than ever before! It’s something about the thrill of the hunt, solid executions, the free range of Hitman that speaks to me. December 8th, look out everybody… I’m coming for you!

And last but certainly not least isn’t even a game… it’s Microsoft’s new gadget: the Microsoft HoloLens. Just from the special display rig done for Minecraft alone during Microsoft’s E3 conference, Microsoft HoloLens is a DAY ONE buy for me. I can only imagine the potential it has to enhance the visual interface and overall experience with video games. Microsoft HoloLens not only appeals to the hardcore gamers, but casuals as well. Free range of view, movement & control…a world literally at my fingertips & command! Virtual reality, you gotta love it!

~And that as they say is that! Look out for all these games and more when they make their way to stores in the coming months (except Project Setsuna… no idea when that hits, but i’ll be waiting).

Michael is a contributing Editor for Teh Lunchbox Publication. Follow us on twitter@tehlunchboxpub.

This month there are only a few new anime movies being released. But that still doesn’t mean they aren’t really good movies and more than enough of them to choose from. Before the summer officially begins, here are some of the movies I am looking forward to.

Taifū no Noruda

Plot Summary: On a certain isolated island, at a certain middle school, on the eve of the culture festival, Shūichi Azuma quits baseball after playing his whole life. He has a fight with his best friend Kenta Saijō. Then they suddenly meet a mysterious, red-eyed girl named Noruda, and a huge typhoon hits the middle school.

Plot Summary: The story of the film begins after the events of the second season, at the graduation ceremony of the third-year students. Knowing that the graduation of the third-year members means the end of μ’s, the nine girls take a walk around the school filled with memories. However, when the students attempt to leave the school gates, a single email is sent to them, and the curtain on a new story for μ’s begins.

Kōkaku Kidōtai Shin Gekijō-ban

Plot Summary: A part of the Ghost in the Shell media franchise. This will be the third feature film in the series produced by Japanese studio Production I.G., and the first at feature-length since Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence in 2004.The film will tie into the plot of Ghost in the Shell: Arise, with the release of two additional episodes in the Arise – Alternative Architecture broadcast created to bridge the gap.

Shingeki no Kyojin Kōhen: Jiyū no Tsubasa

Plot Summary: Recaps of episodes 14-25.

Now that summer is around the corner, everyone has all the time to check out some of these movies. Some you may already be familiar with and you can live through all the adventures again. Some you may not be and you can enjoy some new anime if that’s what you’re looking for. At any rate, check them all out this upcoming month and enjoy each of these great anime.

Julisa I. is a contributing Editor for Teh Lunchbox Publications. Follow us on twitter @tehlunchboxpub.

Midnight Phoenix, a visual kei/Jrock band, will be performing at Tmode coming up this April of 2015. Influenced by Jrock, visual kei, and Krock, everyone can agree that they have their own style. As of now, the band consist of lead singer Katana, with guitarists Shiyoji and Ginhane. Katana and Ginhane met each other in Japanese class in college and bonded with their love of watching anime, playing music together, and one day of going to Japan and making it big. Shiyoji on the other hand, didn’t come until much later when an ad was posted on Facebook and Craigslist.

Afterwords, the band really made some strides with finding a better studio to practice in and getting this great opportunity of performing at T-Mode. Before getting this magical shot, that they thought they would never get, they also performed at MAGFest to any lost souls that night that took the time to stop and listen to their music.

At T-Mode, Midnight Phoenix will be performing a song by One OK Rock and more to be announced at their live show. The band’s name; Midnight Phoenix, was described by Katana as “how Cinderella too changes at the stroke of midnight back to her former self, but also dies and is reborn like a phoenix.” Come checkout Katana’s wonderful voice and the melodic tunes created by Shiyoji and Ginhane at Tmode April 3-5 2015. Also, check them out on their Facebook page at Midnight Phoenix and YouTube at Midnight Phoenix Japan. I’ll see you there!